Removable clothesline support and tensioning device



N 6, 1956 w. L. BODINE 2,769,554

REMOVABLE CLOTHEISLINE SUPPORT AND TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

N W/Mam L. 5007/76 h /BW ATTORNEY Nov. 6, 1956 w, BODlNE I 2,769,554

REMOVABLE CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT AND TENSIONING DEVICE Filed Sept. 26, 1951 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 r H H WELDX 7777 7} AF if F 30 f I I i I v r VI l n Fl 40 I fi s 9 57 "Ill INVENTOR. VVIW/Um' L, Bod/he FZZMLL/WW ATTORNEY United States Patent REMOVABLE CLOTHESLINE SUPPORT AND TENSIONING DEVICE William L. Bodine, Elyria, Ohio Application September 26, 1951, Serial No. 248,400

4 Claims. (Cl. 211-11915) This invention relates to a clothesline supporting and tensioning mechanism in which the one or more removable clothesline posts are connected and disconnected with hidden receiving means in the ground, in the yard or in any suitable place inside or outside of a dwelling house, the mechanism incorporating therein tensioning means so that the clothesline may be made taut.

An object of the present invention is to providea readily insertable and removable clothesline post with suitable crossheads attached thereto together with sunken means easily insertable into the ground, in the yard or even semi-permanently located, as in a garage, a utility room or cellar of a house-and which may be removable therefrom if desired, said receiving means or post socket terminating adjacent the surface of the ground or fioor so that normally when the main posts are removed nothing projects to any substantial amount above the surface of the floor or ground and the owners yard is kept clear and unobstructed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a simplified erecting means for said removable post or posts so that the same may be inserted and retained in the sockets and at first the line may be slack or nearer the ground when the clothes are put on the line and thereafter the posts proper may be easily moved by the operator to upright position with the clothesline in a stretched condition.

A further object of the invention includes the provision of additional tensioning means so that after said clothes post is moved to said substantially upright position, means are provided for still further tensioning the clothesline itself to as taut a condition as desired so that the clothes may be best carried by the line for drying purposes.

More specifically, my invention includes the idea of providing a removable clothesline supporting and tensioning mechanism with an anchoring socket adapted to be positioned in the ground as stated, said socket terminating adjacent the surface thereof with a removable clothesline post adapted to be positioned in said socket. The mechanism also has a strong, wind resisting and efficient construction in that laterally extending base members for the posts are also connected with said socket, said members lying directly on the ground or in contact with the floor and each of these base members have a plurality of notches or adjustable receiving means therein. I also provide diagonally arranged brace members pivoted to said upright posts adjacent the upper portions thereof and at their lower ends positioned or connected into one or another of said notches or receiving means on said base member to variably locate said vertical posts in ditferent degrees of upright position and as indicated supra, the invention also includes a further (easily adjustable) tensioning means to hold the posts in adjusted position so that substantially any desired degree of tension may be placed on the clothesline itself either before or after the clothes are placed thereon and moreover means are provided for maintaining or looking the lastmentioned means in adjusted position thereby providing an easily erected and readily removed clothes supporting mechanism.

Further objects and advantages are within the scope of this invention such as relate to the arrangement, operation and function of the related elements of the structure, to various details of construction and to combinations of parts, elements per se, and to economies of manufacture and numerous other features as will be apparent from a consideration of the specification and drawings of a form of the invention, which may be preferred, in which:

Figure I is a perspective View of the clothesline supporting mechanism assembled in upright position;

Figure II is a partial perspective view of the further tensioning means, showing the same in locked adjusted position;

Figure III is an elevation, partly in section, of one of the socket members for receiving the posts, the socket submerged in the ground;

Figure IV is an elevation taken substantially along the line IVIV of Figure III;

Figure V is an elevation partly in section of the socket with the clothes post inserted therein, together with the ground support coupled with the clothes post;

Figure V1 is a section taken substantially along the line VIVI of Figure V;

Figure VII is an elevational view partly in section, showing the details of the connection between the clothes post, ground support and submerged socket;

Figure VIII is an elevation partly in section, showing a modification of the post construction with a reinforcing bar therein; and

Figure IX is a sectional view partly in elevation, showing a modification in which the socket is submerged in a concrete floor of a cellar, garage, etc.

Referring to the drawings, it will be seen that the removable clothes posts 10 are inserted into sunken sockets or ground supports 11. In the present embodiment of the invention, the posts 10 are formed of hollow pipe or tubing and carry at the top the crosspieces 12 to which the clothesline 14 is attached as will be explained. The upright posts 19 are mounted in the sunken supports or sockets 11 so that they may move slightly toward'each other until anchored, as will hereinafter appear. On one side of each post It), I provide a' horizontal base member or ground brace 15 having a plurality of notches 16 so that the inclined braces 18 and 18' can be adjusted to various positions in the ground braces 15 after the clothesline is attached to the crossbars 12 so that the upright clothes posts Ill can be made to rigidly stand up vertically and when each post is properly erected and adjusted the clothesline may be made very taut.

One of the diagonal braces 18 has a further slack adjusting mechanism or tensioning means. In this case, I form the brace 18 in the form of two telescoping parts 19 and 24). The inner tube 19 has a plurality of transverse holes 21 therethrough. The other part 20 has a handle 22 pivoted thereto as at 23. The other end of the handle 22 is pivoted at 24 to an upright arm 25 which in turn is connected to the upper end of the inner sliding tube 19 as at 26. A securing pin 28 may be loosely connected to the tube 19 by a cord 29, for example, and this pin 2%; is adapted to be inserted into any one of the various holes 21 of the member 19 and hold the same in any one of various adjusted positions by contact of the pin 28 with the upper end of hollow pipe or tube 20.

The ground socket 11 and the connection therewith of the post 10 and base member 15 are further illustrated in Figures III, Vi and VII. As shown in these figures, the socket 11 is flattened to a V shaped terminal at the bottom part thereof to facilitate driving the socket 11 37 should be arranged facing each other.

into the ground and to prevent twisting of the same after location in the ground. At theupper part of the socket 11 the side walls are pinched together as indicated at 39 to make the cross section of the socket oval at this point, this pinched section extending upwardly therefrom to the end of the socket adjacent but slightly above the surface of the ground. To suitably but removably lock the post to the socket 11, I provide a transverse pin '31 at the lower portion of the oval section 30 and the lower end of the post 10 is formed with bayonet slots 33 adapted to be inserted over the pin 31 and .upon turning of the posts 10, the post is locked into the, socket 11. I also provide transverse wings 35 and 36 arranged at right angles at different planes on the socket 11 to resist rotational turning movement due to the wind contacting with the clothes on the line and also to prevent the clothes posts 10 from being pulled toward each other after the posts are erected in upright position.

As shown in Figure V, the upper end of socket 11 extends about one-fourth inch above the surface of the ground as stated supra, and I provide in the same a notch 37 into which the vertical lower edge of the base member snugly fits to properly anchor the member 15 to the socket 11. Moreover, as shown in Figure VII, I provide an inclined small guide 38 to properly guide and position the base member 15 into the slot 37 when the upright posts 14 and attached parts are turned to form the bayonet connection stated.

In Figure V, it will be seen that I connect the post 10 to the base member 15 by means of clampingmembers 39 fixed to the posts 10, said members 39 suitably bolted to the base member 15 as indicated at 40.

In Figure VIII, I have shown a modification of the lower end of post 10 in which I insert for a suitable distance above and below the surface of the ground, a solid reinforcing bar 42. One convenient method of retaining the samein tube or pipe 10 is to have the same so closely fit the inside cylinder wall of said hollow post 10 as to require a driven connection therebetween in which friction alone will hold the insert 42 in adjusted position within post 10. Moreover, insertion could be accomplished by heating the lower end of the pipe 10 to expand the same, inserting the reinforcing rod 42 therein and then allowing the post 15] to cool and shrink onto the reinforcing piece 42 holding the same securely in place.

The clothesline 14 is intended to be one continuous line passing through eyes or hooks 43 as shown and the then pushes downwardly the handle 22 of the tensioning device shown in Figure II and thereby extends the telescoping inner tube 19 a suitable distance to stretch the line very tight. Transverse pin 28 is then inserted in a suitable hole 21 to contact with the upper end of the outer tube 20 and hold the same in adjusted position. From the foregoing it will be seen that the clothes posts may be readily removed from the sockets 11 by reversing the procedure.

It is apparent that, Within the scope of the invention, modifications and different arrangements may be made other than is herein disclosed, and the present disclosure is illustrative merely, the'invention comprehending all variations thereof covered by the claims thereof.

What I claim is:

1. A removable clothesline pole and tensioning mechanism, including an anchoring socket adapted to be positioned in the ground and extending to the surface thereof; an upright clothesline supporting post adapted to be inserted and removed from said socket, said post extending below the surface of the ground into said socket; a laterally extending base connected to said post and interconnected with said socket; said base having a plurality of notches along the upper surface thereof; an adjustable diagonally arranged brace member pivoted to said post adjacent the upper portion thereof, the lower end of said brace fitting into one of said notches on said base member; said diagonal brace member including two telescopic sections; means to extend or retract said sections including a hand operated toggle mechanism interconnected between said sections forming means to tension the clothesline; and means to lock said brace in said adjusted position.

2. A removable clothesline pole and tensioning mechcarrying crossbar fixed to the upper portion of said post;

a laterally extending base connected to said post and interconnected with said socket; said base having a plurality of notches along the upper surface thereof; an

, adjustable diagonally arranged brace member pivoted to line 14 is secured at its opposite ends to the proper clothes 7 bar as indicated at 44 and 45.

In Figure IX the socket 11 is shown embedded in the concrete floor such as the cellar floor or garage fioor and has connected therewith the transverse pin 31' which serves as the bayonet slot connection as in the other embodiments,

Operation 1 supports 15 and the diagonal braces 18 as described above.

To erect the clothesline, the operator takes one of the clothes posts 10 with attached mechanism and inserts it in. the socket 11 temporarily looking it in place through the bayonet end slot connection above described. In this connection the lower base member 15 is properly located in the slot 37 on the top of the socket 11 by the guide 38. Then the lower end of diagonal brace 18 ispushed into any desired notche16 to move the post 10 into as near vertical position as desired. The other post mechanism is then inserted similarly into the other socket, the clothesline 14 having been properly applied to thecrossbars.

, To make the clothesline v'ery taut indeed, the operator said post adjacent the upper portion thereof, said diagonal brace member including two telescopic sections; means to extend or retract said sections including a hand operated toggle mechanism interconnected between said sections forming means, the lower end of said brace fitting into one of said notches on said base member; said toggle mechanism including a long and short arm, a long arm pivoted to the diagonal brace near the upper end thereof, the short arm pivoted to the long arm and to the lower of said telescopic sections, said short arm having a relatively long handle extending on the other end of said pivot to tension the clothesline; and means to lock said brace in an adjusted position.

3. A removable clothesline pole and tensioning mechanism, including a hollow anchoring socket, said socket having means to prevent rotation thereof in the ground;

an upright clothesline supporting post adapted to be in-v serted and removed from said socket, said post extending below the surface of the ground into said socket; the connection between said hollow anchoring socket and said post including an oval configuration to a portion of said socket; a transverse pin secured to said socket adjacent the lower end of said oval portion and a cylindrical portion on said post fitting within said oval portion on the socket with a bayonet slot connection at the lower end of said post for connection with said transverse pin; a laterally extending base interconnected with said socket; said base having a plurality of notches along the upper surface thereof; an adjustable diagonally arranged brace member pivoted to said post adjacent the 'upper portion thereof, the lower end of said brace fitting into one of said adjustable brace member to tension the clothesline; means to lock said brace in said adjusted position; said interconnected means between said base and said socket preventing rotation of said mechanism.

4. A removable clothesline pole and tensioning mechanism, including an anchoring socket, said socket having means to prevent rotation thereof; an upright clothesline supporting post adapted to be inserted and removed from said socket, said post extending into said socket; a line carrying crossbar fixed to the upper portion of said post; a laterally extending base connected with said post and adapted to be interconnected with said socket; said support having a plurality of notches along the upper surface thereof; an adjustable diagonally arranged brace member pivoted to said post adjacent the upper portion thereof, said diagonal brace member including two telescopic sections; means to extend or retract said sections including a hand operated toggle mechanism interconnected between said sections forming means to tension the clothesline, the lower end of said brace fitting into one of said notches on said base member; said toggle mechanism including a long and short arm, said long arm pivoted to the upright post near the upper end of said post, the short arm pivoted to the lower of said telescopic sections and pivoted to the lower end of said long arm, said short arm having a relatively long handle extending on the other end of said pivot to tension the clothesline; and

means to lock said brace in an adjusted position, said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 327,814 Montgomery Oct. 6, 1885 463,599 Emons Nov. 17, 1891 774,272 Poles Nov. 8, 1904 775,347 Denton Nov. 22, 1904 942,592 Schneider Dec, 7, 1909 991,913 Von Engeln May 9, 1911 1,165,459 Sprague Dec. 28, 1915 1,262,914 Bertwell Apr. 16, 1918 1,405,875 Strange Feb. 7, 1922 1,745,517 Tyson Feb. 4, 1930 2,487,527 Davis et al Nov. 8, 1949 2,596,976 Barber May 20, 1952 

